Column: “Name three hip-hop songs.”

I’ve spent countless hours listening to hip hop music. I’ve also spent more time trying to buy tickets to concerts and festivals than I’m proud of. Still, I feel cut off and left out of my community of listeners.

Music has been my greatest passion for as long as I can remember.

At the age of 14, he began to delve deeper into the art of hip-hop music, from production to songwriting to artistry. fell in love with it all. Much of his free time is spent analyzing the meanings and stories behind hip-hop projects, watching documentaries and interviews, and attending his favorite artists’ live performances.

In 2021, he flew to Miami for Rolling Loud, a three-day rap music festival, to attend Dreamville Festival, an event hosted by J.Cole’s record label, among other concerts. My favorite shows from last year were Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem and Tyler the Creator and Saba.

You might think it would be easy for me to get close to other hip-hop fans, but it’s not.

Having spent years as a woman who appreciates this kind of music, I’ve noticed that men don’t take me as seriously as other male fans. I’m by no means an expert on all artists or albums, but I’m often downplayed by the misogynistic comments men make about me.

On streaming platform Deezer in 2019, 32% of female users listened to hip-hop, compared to 68% of male users. Therefore, as a woman, I found myself in a niche position. When I claim to enjoy hip hop music, I am faced with a series of questions about my knowledge and opinion of artists. Men often try to keep me out of conversations about music.

It’s unfair that some men gatekeep the entire genre from all non-male listeners, not just “fake fans”. The men around me jumped to conclusions before I could say a word.

On the other hand, I also struggle to find other than other men who share my enthusiasm for the genre. Either I’m too girly to listen to hip-hop music for boys, or my musical tastes are too different to connect with other girls.

Of course, there are exceptions to my dilemma. I am grateful to have a few men in my life who take my music criticism and opinions seriously.

Music is what we use to start conversations when meeting new people. It could be pointing out a shirt or a sticker they have, or mentioning it when you’re chatting with someone. We hope that it will be easier for you to bond with others who enjoy

Everyone should be able to listen to the music they like. My hope is that these “exclusive” communities will eventually become more accepting of all fans. For one thing, new fans tend to start expanding their tastes in addition to providing a sense of belonging to longtime fans like myself.

You might think that having similar hobbies will foster a friendship between the two of you. So it’s hard to feel left out because even though you know you can contribute to music debates and discussions, you find it difficult to speak up.

In short, I obviously love hip-hop.

I desperately want more friends to talk about my favorite artists, release albums with them, and attend concerts with them.

Whatever excites you, think twice before using misogyny or other prejudices to entertain people. Not having a community or outlet to talk about the things you love can be very isolating. We all have the right to love and connect with people who share our passions.

@dthopinion

opinion@dailytarheel.com